It’s strange how sometimes you don’t realize a thing that’s been right in front of you all along. Take Leonardo DiCaprio for example. The guy has quietly (as ridiculous as that sounds) made himself into one of the biggest, most sustainable, most bankable stars ever.
Leo has seemingly followed a code –a blueprint if you will –for how an artist can control his fate in a business that’s notoriously risk-averse & likes it’s sure things to remain that way. Except for a very select few, I’m talking about typecasting.
What makes Leo’s journey though Hollywood so remarkable is that he has done it without the big-budget blockbusters (sans Titanic) or the tent-poles. He’s avoided the sequels & joining ‘it’ projects although his projects become ‘it’ projects once he’s attached.
Instead, Leo has carved out a carefully curated career in film moving from a ‘heartthrob’ to a serious performer with smoldering intensity & chops. He’s established mass appeal with a range of fiery, struggling, anguish-filled characters in a breadth of different stories. He’s also built partnerships with key filmmakers, leveraging their chemistry together that has created proven success time & again. Just look at his body of work. Always critical & commercial successes. He’s one of the most sought-after actors of his generation & that’s no surprise.
I remember in his early days, not wanting to believe the hype. Not having much regard for him or his craftwork. But yet, his screen presence was always so remarkable that you couldn’t look away. It wasn’t until Revolutionary Road I fond myself truly floored by his talent (what he & Kate Winslett do together every time they share a scene is just electric). His daring, intense & explosive performance was unforgettable. & I have not been able to un-see his uniqueness again since.
While there are a lot of phenomenally good actors in Leo’s stratosphere, next to Denzel, Will Smith & Tom Cruise, I can’t think of any others with his star power, box office prowess, prolific nature & business acumen. His path has been, in my opinion, the quintessential blueprint for what a creative force’s ideal career should look like.
Can’t wait to see what he does opposite another screen monster, Brad Pitt, in the forthcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.